


Three Little Words

by Falahime



Category: SK8 the Infinity (Anime)
Genre: Fluff & Banter, Getting Together, M/M, inspired by ep 8
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-28
Updated: 2021-02-28
Packaged: 2021-03-12 12:47:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,861
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29759844
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Falahime/pseuds/Falahime
Summary: “I can’t believe you still wear this stupid thing.” Cherry flicked the triangle pendant around Joe’s neck, very carefully and deliberately not touching Joe’s skin.“Of course I do. You bought it for me.”“I did no such thing.” Pink dusted Cherry’s cheekbones, immediately exposing his lie. “There’s no way I’d ever buy anything so hideous. Even to gift it to you, which is also something I’d never do.”“Oh but youdid,” Joe insisted with a smirk. His voice softened a little as he added, “You said it represented us. Three points, three people. You, me, Adam.”“Is that why you still wear it to skate?” Cherry asked. “Because you want Adam back?”
Relationships: Nanjo Kojiro | Joe/Sakurayashiki Kaoru | Cherry Blossom
Comments: 22
Kudos: 362





	Three Little Words

Honestly, Cherry had lost count of how many times they’d done this. Despite squabbling at S (or wherever else they happened to be, really) once the evening wound down, Cherry would complain about being hungry—or sometimes Joe wouldn’t even wait for him to complain, instead asking him if he’d remembered to eat yet today—and after a lot of bitching and bickering back and forth they'd end up at Joe’s restaurant, just the two of them. Complaining the whole time, Joe would inevitably whip up something delicious. And, complaining the whole time, Cherry would inevitably eat it, acting like it wasn’t.

It was a comfortable pattern, a game they’d been playing for years. Cherry knew Joe wouldn’t take the time to feed him if he really hated it. And Joe knew Cherry wouldn’t keep eating it if he really hated it. Then again, they’d hated each other since childhood and been somehow inseparable ever since.

They were still in their S attire (which, for Joe, meant not much at all). He set Cherry’s plate in front of him then settled into a lean on the counter between them, Joe’s necklace swaying slightly from the movement, catching Cherry’s eye.

“I can’t believe you still wear this stupid thing.” Cherry flicked the triangle pendant around Joe’s neck, very carefully and deliberately not touching Joe’s skin.

“Of course I do. You bought it for me.”

“I did no such thing.” Pink dusted Cherry’s cheekbones, immediately exposing his lie. “There’s no way I’d ever buy anything so hideous. Even to gift it to you, which is also something I’d never do.”

“Oh but you _did_ ,” Joe insisted with a smirk. His voice softened a little as he added, “You said it represented us. Three points, three people. You, me, Adam.”

“Is that why you still wear it to skate?” Cherry asked. “Because you want Adam back?”

“No,” Joe replied easily. “Why? Jealous?” He grinned mischievously.

“You wish,” Cherry snapped.

“Maybe.”

“What?” Cherry frowned.

“Nothing,” Joe replied with an easy smile. “I didn’t say a word.”

“I hate you,” Cherry said flatly.

“I know. I hate you too,” Joe answered, his words directly contradicted by his unbearably fond tone. “Eat. Your food’s getting cold.”

“Not like that could make it taste any worse,” Cherry grumbled.

Joe watched him roughly twist his noodles onto his fork. “Hey, you don’t have to eat it.”

With an angry glare, Cherry shoved the forkful of pasta into his mouth and immediately resisted the urge to moan a little.

Fuck. It really was delicious.

Of course. It always was.

“Good?” Joe asked with a raised eyebrow.

“No,” Cherry replied automatically. “Not at all.” Talking with his mouth full, sloppy table manners (or none at all, really)…was absolutely not his style. He would never act this way in front of a client or the media or even Reki and Langa or even Ada—

Just Joe.

Just Joe was the only person he ever let see this side of him.

Huh.

He chewed another bite, trying not to think about why that was.

“Kaoru?” Joe peered into his face from across the counter. “You okay?”

“Don’t call me that,” Cherry snapped without thinking.

“Huh? But we’re...” Rather than explain verbally, he gestured to the empty restaurant around them. “And it’s not like there’s anyone here and I’m blowing your cover.”

Cherry felt his face heat rapidly and totally inexplicably at the word “blowing.” He shoved another forkful of pasta in his mouth.

“Oi. You’re really red. You okay?” Joe pressed, hand reaching for Cherry’s forehead.

“I’m fine, you big gorilla!” He instinctively slapped Joe’s hand away. “Don’t touch me.”

“Right,” Joe said skeptically. And maybe a little sadly but Cherry thought that might have just been his imagination. “Another glass?” He nodded at Cherry’s empty wine glass.

“Plea—I guess I better not,” Cherry changed his mind mid-sentence.”I still have to make it home.”

“I can take you on my bike,” Joe said smoothly, already refilling the wine. Eyes darting oh-so-briefly to Cherry’s face, he suggested too-casually, “Or you could just stay over at my place.”

“Absolutely not.”

Joe snorted at that. “What’s that shitty tone for? Like you don’t stay over at least once a week?”

“It’s been eleven days,” Cherry fired back, realizing his mistake too late.

Of course Joe caught it, judging by the leer on his face. “Oh? You’ve been counting then?”

“Shut up,” Cherry grumbled, dabbing his mouth with a napkin and elegantly setting his silverware on the plate as if he hadn’t been eating like a total slob just moments before.

Joe just laughed, reaching across the counter and taking the dirty dishes to the sink in the back. “Dessert?” he called from the kitchen.

“No, that’s alright. I—” He glared irritably at Joe as he returned and placed an absolutely gorgeous little dessert delicately in front of him. “What’s this?”

“Dessert.”

“That I _just said_ I didn’t want!” Cherry scowled. “Seriously, you don’t listen! Is there a brain between those ears or is that just muscle too?”

“I do too listen,” Joe said with a laugh, heading back to the sink to wash Cherry’s dishes. “Just instead of listening to what you say, I listen to what you mean.” He had the audacity to wink as he disappeared around the corner.

Cherry stared down at the little dessert in front of him. For a second he considered leaving it untouched just to prove a point.

But the longer he stared, there was just something so smooth and perfect, soft pink hues, all elegance and refinement that he couldn’t resist. Definitely didn’t resemble Joe at all. Humbly speaking, Cherry thought it reminded him way more of...

With an annoyed huff (at himself or Joe, he didn’t know—maybe both) he took a bite.

And immediately closed his eyes, grateful for the running water that covered up his groan.

Fuck. It was really delicious.

Of course. It always was.

“Are you serious?” Cherry said as Joe flopped onto his couch. Because yes, Joe had given him a ride on his bike. And also yes, they ended up at Joe’s place. “It’s like two-thirty in the morning.”

“You know I can’t go to sleep right away,” Joe said as he turned on the tv. “I have to wind down first.”

“You should’ve just taken me home. I asked you to,” Cherry grumbled, remembering Joe’s earlier nonsense about listening to what Cherry meant instead of what he said. So what if he was kind of right. Asshole. “Anyway, you stink. Shower before you get that smell all over your sofa.”

“Really?” Joe stood, raising his arm and giving a sniff. "But we hardly even skated tonight, mostly just showed up and looked cool—"

"You wish."

"Anyway, it’s not like I got sweaty or anything—”

“You reek of perfume,” Cherry blurted. At Joe’s raised eyebrow he continued. “You really need to quit letting your fangirls and hussies hang all over you and making you so stinky. Stink _ier_.” He crossed his arms defensively, glaring as Joe walked toward him. “What— what are you—”

Without warning, Joe ducked his head down in the crook of Cherry’s neck but stopped before actually touching. He inhaled slowly. “I could say the same about you,” he said, voice too low and velvety against Cherry’s skin. He pulled back, standing nonchalantly. “You’re pretty perfumey yourself.” He wrinkled his nose comically.

“Well I _wasn’t_ ,” Cherry argued. “It probably rubbed off on me from riding behind you—”

“I guess you _were_ snuggled in pretty close,” Joe mused.

“I was not! Not anymore than normal!”

“Well, you’re _normally_ snuggled in pretty close,” Joe said, straight face cracking into a smile even as Cherry whacked him in the shoulder with his fan. “Hey, I’m not saying I mind!”

“Well _I_ do!” Cherry said, adding another smack. “I’m never riding with you again!”

“Okay, okay!” Joe laughed, rubbing his arm. “Where the hell do you keep that thing anyway?” He jerked his chin toward the closed fan in Cherry’s hand. His tongue darted out across his bottom lip, a dead giveaway that he was about to say something stupid. More stupid than usual. “Hey, is that—”

“Nanjo Kojiro, do _not_ say—!”

“—a fan in your pocket or are you just glad to see me?” Joe waggled his eyebrows and leered, earning him another solid whack with the fan and a kick in the shin. Which honestly hurt Cherry’s foot way more than it hurt Joe’s leg.

“Ow!” Cherry whined under his breath. That would have been a way better idea in shoes. Barefoot, not so much.

“That’s what you get for kicking me!”

“You deserved it!”

Still laughing, Joe asked, “Is your foot okay?” He knelt and patted his thigh. “Put it up here, let me look at it.” He started to reach for Cherry’s foot.

“Don’t touch me, gorilla,” Cherry huffed, taking a step back. “Anyway, it’s fine,” he conceded petulantly.

“Fine,” Joe said, holding out his hands placatingly. “Since we both stink—” he grinned outright at Cherry’s indignant squawk, “—you shower first. I’ll find you something to wear.”

“Oh great,” Cherry grumbled, wondering how long Joe was going to stay kneeling at his feet. It was too ~~reminiscent of a proposal~~ disconcerting and turned his stomach in knots.

With a laugh, Joe stood and Cherry was immediately grateful that Joe’s face was no longer in such close proximity to his groin...waist! His _waist._

Like that was really any better?

“You could just, y’know, leave some stuff here,” Joe said casually, heading into his bedroom to presumably look for some workable sleeping clothes for Cherry.

“Like hell,” Cherry responded instinctively.

“You’re right,” Joe agreed and Cherry was immediately wary. “After all, that’d take away your excuse for sleeping in my clothes.”

“Oh you wish!” Cherry stomped toward the bathroom.

“You know I’d give you the shirt off my back, Kaoru,” Joe teased from the other room. “All you have to do is ask.”

“Just shut up!” Cherry shut the door firmly, then yanked it open again to get the last word. “I hate you.”

Even on the other side of the bathroom door he heard Joe’s booming laugh and reply of, “I hate you too.”

“Don’t even say it,” Cherry said through the hair tie in his teeth. He finished tying his hair in a messy bun and finally looked over at Joe, who for possibly the first time in his life, had apparently actually _listened_ and wasn’t saying anything.

Frozen on the couch, Joe just stared at him wide-eyed. It looked like his lips were quivering in some sort of stupid-almost smile but even squinting Cherry couldn’t be absolutely sure.

“What?” Cherry snapped, embarrassed.

Joe blinked, jolted out of his thoughts. “You—” His voice came out strained; clearing his throat, he tried again. “You told me not to say anything.”

Cherry looked down at the oversized light grey anime sweatshirt with the beyond ludicrous “oppai” graphic and the faded black sweats that were way too long. Even cinched as tight as possible they still hung low and baggy across his hips.

“Don’t look at me like that.” Cherry scowled. It was just _Joe_ ; why did he feel so self-conscious? Who cared what Joe thought anyway? “Didn’t you pick this on purpose? So I’d look ridiculous?”

“No,” Joe said hurriedly, standing quickly. “You look…” Taking a couple steps forward, he stopped right in front of Cherry.

“Stupid?” Cherry asked with a raised eyebrow, arms folded across his chest. He should’ve expected Joe to use the opportunity to one-up him. Maybe he really should leave some of his own nightclothes here for next time— _no no no!_

Joe opened his mouth to answer but nothing came out. He gave Cherry another very obvious once-over before turning his head and covering his mouth with his hand. After an embarrassed cough he mumbled something about _definitely needing to shower_ and quickly ducked into the bathroom.

“Ahhh, I feel like a new man,” Joe sighed happily, flopping on the couch a little too close next to Cherry.

“If only that were possible,” Cherry lamented, eliciting a snort from Joe. “Are you allergic to clothes or something?” he asked, sneering at Joe’s lack of a shirt. He still had that stupid pendant on too. At least he had pajama pants on, even if they were criminally low. Or maybe it was those hipbones that were criminal.

Joe just flexed his pecs in response, earning an irritated eyeroll from Cherry. With a laugh at his small victory, Joe stretched one arm along the back of the sofa behind Cherry’s head and flipped through movies with the tv remote in the other hand.

“Whaddya wanna watch?” Joe asked. His eyes flickered and caught Cherry ogling. Again. “Besides me?” he asked with a smirk.

“Oh shut up,” Cherry huffed and looked away, definitely not blushing.

“I’m kidding!” Joe said. “Really. Stare at me all you like.” He grinned slyly. “I would.”

Cherry rolled his eyes again, sighing in disgust. “I swear, you are so in love with yourself it’s gross.”

“Haven’t you ever heard that saying?” Joe asked, too-innocently. “If you can’t love yourself how are you gonna love anyone else.”

“I don’t think that’s what they mean,” Cherry replied flatly. “Besides, you’re so in love with yourself I doubt there’s any left for anyone else.”

“Oh don’t worry, I have enough saved for you,” Joe said with an exaggerated wink.

Cherry’s face contorted in disgust. “Do you even listen to yourself? Ugh. Still…I guess at least you’re back to normal. As normal as you get, anyway. Not that I ever thought I’d be grateful for that.”

Joe frowned. “What do you mean?”

“Earlier,” Cherry said with a dismissive wave, content to leave it at that. But judging by Joe’s frown he still didn’t get it. “When you were staring at me all stupid,” Cherry explained. “I don’t know what you expected, you’re the one who picked out these dumb clothes—”

“They aren’t dumb!” Joe argued. “That’s my favorite sweatshirt!”

“Of course it is,” Cherry said, not missing a beat. "That's why I've _never_ seen you wear it."

“And I was staring because you looked cute!”

“Fuck you.”

“What?” Joe yelped.

“What?” Cherry repeated. Flustered, he looked away, scowling. “Shut up and put on a movie.” For a moment he thought Joe would argue or try to continue the discussion or…something. Cherry could feel him staring but he didn’t make eye contact. Finally, with a grunt, Joe started cycling through movies. He lingered on the thumbnail of some action movie with lots of muscles and explosions. “…Not that one!” 

“What’s wrong with it?” Joe protested. Cherry didn’t answer. “Fine, then you pick,” he said, handing him the remote. Cherry honestly didn’t give a damn what they watched; he was this increasingly irritating combination of exhausted and hyper-aware of _why the hell was Joe sitting so close to him anyway?_

“Then…” Cherry selected one at random.

“Seriously?” Joe whined. “That’s going to bore me to sleep!”

“I thought the point was to wind down!” Cherry retorted. “You know what, I don’t care. I’d rather put up with some stupid action movie than you bitching for the next hour and a half. Pick whatever.” He shoved the remote back in Joe’s hand.

“Holy shit, your hands are freezing!”

“They’re normal!” Cherry protested. “You’re just too warm!”

“Like hell!” Joe fired back, reaching for Cherry’s hands. “I gave you the sweatshirt because I know you’re frigid—” Cherry smacked him, which was a mistake because then his wrists were in easy grabbing distance. “—but I didn’t think it was that bad. Here.” Joe wrangled Cherry’s hands in his, holding them to his chest. “Good grief, warm up.”

“You’re doing this on purpose,” Cherry grumbled, pretty sure his face was on fire enough for the rest of him. When Joe didn’t answer, he looked up and Joe was looking back at him in that naked, soft way that Cherry hated because it fluttered his stomach. “I don’t know why you think it’s funny to manhandle me, you muscle-brained gorilla.”

“I miss your piercings,” Joe said out of nowhere, the corner of his lips curving in a small smile. His eyes lingered on Cherry’s mouth. “The lip ring especially.”

Cherry snorted and looked away, definitely ignoring Joe’s arm wrapped around him and the fact he was practically sitting in Joe’s lap, palms pressed to Joe’s chest, sandwiched under Joe's bigger hands. Yes, he was absolutely totally ignoring that as hard as he could. “You’re sure obsessed with the past,” Cherry said haughtily.

“Huh?” Joe blinked in confusion.

Cherry scowled, irritated that he didn’t know if Joe was genuinely not following or if he was being purposely obtuse just to be a dick. “The past. My piercings, that stupid pendant.” He gestured with a nod since he was still ignoring that his hands were occupied.

“It’s not because they’re part of the past,” Joe said slowly, as if explaining to a child. “It’s because they’re part of _you_.”

Cherry’s head snapped up. “What?” he asked incredulously. “I thought it was because…” he trailed off, biting his bottom lip.

“Because of what?” Joe pressed.

“Because…you know…” Cherry mumbled. It hurt to say it. He tried not to think about it, almost as much as he tried not to think about the warm skin and steady heartbeat under his palms. Both were painful in their own way. “Because they remind you of being with Adam.”

“I don’t give two shits about Adam,” Joe said adamantly, so firmly that Cherry was actually startled. “I mean, I do, but not…” He growled in frustration, lifting one of Cherry’s hands on his chest and placing it a little higher, over the triangle pendant. “ _You_ gave me this.” Cherry opened his mouth to protest but Joe continued. “Deny it all you want, I _know_ you remember. And I never wanted to tell you this because you’re such an arrogant shithead brat—"

“Thanks,” Cherry said dryly.

“—but wearing it makes me feel like we’re still connected. Like I’m still skating with you. So, you asked me why I still wear it…” His hand slid away from Cherry’s, fingertips trailing lightly down his wrist before falling away entirely. “That’s why.”

Joe’s heartbeat hammered under Cherry’s palm, though Cherry was pretty sure his wasn’t faring any better.

“I swear…” Cherry whispered, thunking his forehead on Joe’s shoulder. “Can you get any dumber?”

Warm fingers drifted through Cherry’s hair, trailing down around his ear and curling under his jaw, gently tilting Cherry’s chin upward.

“Every day,” Joe said quietly, dipping his head, “I regret not kissing your lip ring when I had the chance.”

A breath of a laugh escaped Cherry. “Yep, that was dumber alright.” Then, before he could think himself out of it, he leaned in just barely and kissed Joe.

He’d never thought it would happen, let alone happen like this. In the hours between late night and early morning, dark circles under their eyes, both with messy hair and him in Joe’s baggy sweats and Joe in almost nothing at all, some shitty action movie exploding in the background.

Joe’s lips soft against his, softer than he ever dared imagine, his mouth almost too-hot like the rest of him.

Fuck. It was really delicious.

Of course.

Cherry couldn’t help smiling at the thought and felt Joe’s lips smile back. Slowly, with only a few more teasing kisses, they parted.

“Well?” Cherry asked with a raised eyebrow, doing his best to sound nonchalant and trying to play it cool.

“Well what?” Joe asked, brow furrowed slightly. “I said I regret not kissing your lip ring, not that I wanted to kiss _you_ —” He broke into a laugh as Cherry smacked his chest.

“Asshole,” Cherry grumbled indignantly. “I hate you.”

“I know,” Joe said with a smile, one hand lightly curled around Cherry’s neck and the other splayed across the small of his back, snugging him close. He flicked his tongue across Cherry’s lip, testing whether it was safe to go in for another kiss or if Cherry was going to bite him. Cherry did nip back, gently (well, mostly gently), and Joe grinned. “I hate you too,” he said happily, kissing him again.

“Hey,” Joe’s voice rumbled softly under his ear, even as fingers threaded through his hair. “Cmon. Let’s go to bed.”

“But I’m already asleep,” Cherry mumbled, scrunching up his face in complaint. “You really woke me up to tell me to go to sleep?”

Joe huffed a laugh. “Well, I’d rather sleep in my bed than on the couch. Maybe you don’t mind because you’re sleeping on _me_ —”

“Shut up.”

“—and I must be pretty comfortable—“

“As if. You’re hard as a rock.”

“Oh? And here I thought you hadn’t noticed—”

“I didn’t mean it like that!” Cherry sat up, scowling, and smacked Joe’s chest with the back of his hand. “I meant these stupid muscles!”

“Says the person who literally drooled all over them,” Joe teased, reaching up to brush the corner of Cherry’s mouth with his thumb.

Cherry swatted his hand and swiped at his mouth on his own. “You wish.” He totally knew that he had. “Fine. I’m awake.” He climbed off of Joe and started toward the bedroom. “Let’s go to bed. To _sleep_ ,” Cherry clarified before Joe could say anything.

Sharing a bed with Joe…actually wasn’t new. They’d grown up together, weird shit happens. Cherry had lost count of how many times they’d just fall asleep together after staying up too late (or getting too drunk). Not to mention how often their room reservations got screwed up while traveling and they ended up with one bed. So no, sharing a bed wasn’t new.

But having Joe’s chest against his back, arm loosely around his waist, feeling his steady breathing against his neck…

Yeah…that was new.

“Don’t touch me,” Cherry warned drowsily.

“Right, right,” Joe mumbled back, pulling Cherry a little closer.

“Hey, Kojiro?” Cherry asked.

“Mm?”

“If…if I bought you a different necklace, something that was just for…for us…would you…”

“Yes.”

“What if it’s ugly?”

“The uglier the better,” Joe replied instantly, tightening his arms around Cherry. “To remind me of you.”

“You ass,” Cherry scowled even though Joe couldn’t see it. He bent his knees and flattened the soles of his feet against Joe’s shins.

“Fuck’s sake!” Joe yelled. “How do you seriously have ice cubes for feet!” After a bit of wrestling, Joe managed to pin Cherry’s feet between his legs. “We’re going to thaw you out yet.”

Cherry snorted.

“I mean,” Joe continued, “I knew you were cold-blooded and cold-hearted but this is just ridiculous.”

“Shut up. It’s my aesthetic.”

Joe’s laughter rumbled against Cherry’s back, eventually tapering off to a happy sigh. He buried his head in the crook of Cherry’s neck, planting a kiss (or two) there. “I hate you so, so much,” he murmured affectionately.

Cherry smiled to himself, letting his eyelids drift shut as he pulled Joe’s arm tighter around him. “I hate you more.”

**Author's Note:**

> And maybe if one day, hanging from Joe’s neck, it’s no longer that triangle pendant but a ring with “i hate you” inscribed on the inside, well, that's a story for another time.


End file.
